“TREATMENT” OF FOOD”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22101, 3 November 1933, Page 10

“TREATMENT” OF FOOD”

POSSIBLE RISK TO HEALTH AROMA OF BUTTER. (Fbou Odr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 21. Sir George Newman, '■chief medical officer of the Ministry of Health, in his annual report on the nation’s health refers to the possible bad results of “ treated ” food. While the adulteration rate of food had gradually fallen during the last 50 years from 20 per cent, of the samples taken to 5 per cent., there was at present a new problem in food adulteration. This was the scientific "treatment” of food at the hands of skilled chemists. “As instances,” Sir George Newman adds, “ in which there exists a legitimate suspicion that a commercial process may involve a definite nutritive value 1 may cite (a) the fumigation of food with toxic gases to destroy insect pests; (b) the presence of heavy metals in foods due to the materials or containers used in manufacture and storage; (c) the increasing use of poisonous ‘insecticides and fungicides in agriculture and horticulture; (d) the treatment of flour with bleaching and ‘ improving ’ agents; (e) ‘ fortification ’ of foods by artificiallyadded vitamins; (f) the uncontrolled and unregulated exposure of food to ultraviolet. rays; or (g) the introduction of new synthetic colours and flavours.” ' ARTIFICIAL AROMAS. In connection with one of these processes it is mentioned that the aroma of. butter is produced by a cui.ture of streptococcus cremoris (Orla Jensen). The actual substance responsible tor aroma had been identified as diacetyl. The, body first formed By the bacterial culture wag acetyl-methyl-carbinot, from which the strongly-smelling diacetyl was formed by oxidisation. The best dairy butter might contain about 0.0005 per cent, of diacetyl. It could be extracted and approximately determined by distilling it off and converting it into' dimethyl-glvoxime, which gives intensely red crystals with a nickel salt. Diacetyl could readily be made artificially, and a solution of it in water was employed to give aroma to butter deficient in this respect. Highly aromatic butter did not keep well, and it would seem that the additioii of synthetic diacetyl to butter to improve its aroma might defeat its own object by causing the butter prematurely to turn rancid.